Demos in Giessen: Huge riot against AfD youth – 50,000 on the streets!

Demos in Giessen: Huge riot against AfD youth – 50,000 on the streets!

On December 6, 2025, Giessen made headlines when the AfD youth wanted to hold its founding party conference in the Hessenhallen. It was a day marked by protests and social division. Thousands of citizens from all over Germany took to the streets to demonstrate against the founding of the new youth organization “Generation Germany”. According to estimates by the Interior Ministry, up to 30,000 people took part in the protests - a total of 50,000, which almost paralyzed the city.

The arrival of AfD supporters was significantly affected by violent protests and blockades. Motorways and federal highways were blocked by demonstrations and barricades. To bring the situation under control, the police used water cannons. In this context, there were clashes in which several hundred violent people took part in the clashes. By early afternoon, 10 to 15 police officers were slightly injured. The largest rally, organized by the German Federation of Trade Unions, attracted around 20,000 demonstrators who protested mostly peacefully, but the situation remained tense

A controversial venue

The Hessenhallen in Gießen became a controversial scene because during the antique and flea market, activists from the opposing side sneaked in and deposited 15 to 20 small plastic boxes that, if activated, were supposed to make loud noises in order to interrupt the party conference. The police classified these boxes as harmless, but the situation raises questions about the necessity of the large police presence, which is considered the largest operation in Giessen's history. SPD politicians are calling for a comprehensive reappraisal, a concern that is also supported by Roland Zwerenz, Managing Director of Messe Gießen GmbH.

Due to the massive criticism, Zwerenz is faced with a difficult dilemma: Although he rejects the allegations that Messe GmbH is responsible for the escalation, he emphasizes the legal obligations for renting out public halls to all approved parties. In a similar case in Essen, a ban on an AfD party conference led to high costs and legal consequences. Zwerenz advocates an objective view of the incidents and criticizes the claims that the trade fair has plunged the retail sector into chaos - a portrayal that he considers to be incorrect.

The AfD and its new youth organization

The AfD founding party conference began more than two hours late. Of the originally expected participants of over 800, around 750 ultimately came to the Hessenhallen. The new chairman of the youth organization is Jean-Pascal Hohm, who is observed as a right-wing extremist by the Brandenburg Office for the Protection of the Constitution. In a striking twist of events, Nafiur Rahman was elected to the federal executive board as the Hessian representative.

The day's events shine a bright light on the social tensions in Germany. Zwerenz and other voices appeal to the importance of the rule of law and the ability to accept different opinions and maintain peaceful dialogue. It remains to be hoped that the heated arguments in Gießen do not contribute to a further deepening of the rifts in society.

Overall, the tensions surrounding the AfD youth party conference are an expression of the polarized social conditions in Germany, which are also noticeable in Giessen. The discussion about freedom of expression, legal obligations and the art of compromise remains more relevant than ever. giessener-anzeiger.de and tagesschau.de agree that the gap between views continues to grow.